Electric shaver



March 14, 1950 c. H. QuAcKEBUsH ETAL 2,500,378

ELECTRIC SHAVER Filed NOV. 20, 1944 INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 14, 1950 ELEornro shaven Cleveland H. Quackenbush and John L. Quackenbush, Glendale, Calif., assigner-s to Logan Electric Products, Inc., Pasadena, Calif., a corporation of California Application November 20, 1944, Serial No. 564,260

10 Claims.

Our invention relates to an electric shaver and the objects of our invention are:

First, to provide a shaver of this class in which the rotary cutter member is held in co-extensive spring tension contiguousrevoluble relation with which therotary driving means provides resilient .and tensional support for the rotary cutter member in its engaged relation with the, internalside of the cutting face of the `cutter and casing member of our electric shaver;

Fifth, to provide a shaverl of, this class in which the helical formof the rotary cutter member when revolving provides a directional turbulence in a grooved portion of the cutter and casing member for forcefully expelling cut hair from our shaver;

Sixth, to provide a shaver of this class in which a latch means is arranged to automatically hold the shaver head mechanism in sp-ring tensional engaged relation with the handle member and also inv proper angular aligned relation with the motor drive shaft;

Seventh, to provide `a shaver of this class in which the rotary drive wire in connection with the rotary cutter member is positioned in angular flexed axial relation with the motor drive shaft 1'" providing constant revoluble lateral thrust ofthe rotary cutter` member relatively with the inner cutting surface of the cutter and casing member;

Eighth, to pro-vide a shaver of this class, in

which the latch means in engagement with the shaver head mechanism is readily releasable for removing the shaver head mechanism and is arranged to remain in certain position for receiving the shaver head mechanism when replacing the same in its relation with they handle member and the motor drive shaft;

Ninth, to provide a shaver of this class in which the shaver vheadmechanism is provided with connecting means arranged to engage the motor drive shaft whereby the rotary cutter member is arranged for revoluble operation by the motor drive shaft when connected. therewith in any radially engaged position;

rl'enth, to provide a shaver of this class in portion of the cutter andr casing member is arranged in diverging angular relation withrthe helical cutting portions of .the motor and cutter member whereby the cooperative angular relation between said slotsy and said helical cutting portions is arranged to wedge or force hairs into the apex between the edges of said slots and said helical cutting portions when frictionally engaged thereby with certain directional rotation of said rotary cutter member;

leventh, to provide a shaver of this class in which the outer arcuate side of the s1otted cut ting side wall of the cutter and casing member is concentricwith the inner side wall thereof substantially fifty, thousandths of an inch on `both. sides of the middle of said slotted cutting side wallproviding a uniform thickness'cf .said

'slotted cutting side wal-l extending substantially which the direction of the slots of the. ,cutting one-tenth of an'inch in the `arcuate side thereof;

Twelfth, to provide. a shaver of this class in which the angular connected relation of the drive shaft engaging spring with the motor drive shaft `provides a tendency of the drive shaft when revolving to urge the drive shaft engaging spring inwardly together with its connecting mechanism, whereby the rotary cutter member in connec- T tion with said drive shaft engaging spring, is held inwardly within the cutter and casing member during revolubie operation.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, our invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of. parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described inl detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure 1 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of our electric shaver taken from the line l-l of Fig. 2 showing parts and portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration and also showing by dash` lines varying positions of parts thereof; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken from the line 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top or plan view taken from the line int of Fig. 11; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional` View taken from the line -ll of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 5-5 of' Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on the same plane as that shown in Figz showing a modified form of apar-'tof our electric shaver.

The shaver handlegmember Lpcutter` and casing member 2, rotary cutter member 3, connecting latch member 4, latch member casing 5, latch spring 6, rotary drive wire l, drive wire casing 8, motor drive shaft 9 and the drive shaft engaging spring I constitute the principal parts of our electric shaver.

The shaver handle member l is arranged to rigidly support a conventional electric motor, not shown, from which extends a motor drive shaft 9, as shown best in Fig. i of the drawings. The shaver handle member l is provided with a substantially circular bore la in which the motor drive shaft 9 is revolubly positioned. The offset portion l'b of this shaver handle l is provided with a recess lc in which is positioned the latch member casing 5, as shown best in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings.

This latch member casing is substantially rectangular in cross section and is provided with an opening 5a in its one end in which is reciprocally mounted the latch member 4, as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

This latch member 4 is arranged to be held in the dash line position A when the collar 4a is positioned in the opening 5b in the bottom of the latch member'casing 5 and in engagement with the end of the opening 5c, it being noted that this latch member 4 is held in the solid line position. as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings by means of the latch member spring S, which is mounted on the latch member 4 and is arranged to engage the latch member casing 5 around the opening 5a thereof, as shownbest in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The latch member 4 is also provided with an upwardly and inwardly extending angularly directed hook portion 4b which is arranged to engage an angularly positioned hole 2a inthe lower side of the cutter and casing member 2, all as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The lower side of the cutter and casing member 2 is arranged to be positioned in a conforming rest portion ld, as shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This rest portion Id provides a rest for the casing 2 that lies at a slight angle with respect thereto the motor drive shaft 9, as indicated by the center lines B and C as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the center line B being the center line of the motor drive shaft 9 and the center line C being the center line of the rotary cutter member 3 and the internal bore r 2b of the cutter and casing member 2. It will be noted that the spring tensional engaged relation of the latch member 4 with the cutter and casing member 2 holds the lower side of the cutter and casing member 2 in the rest Id of the shaver handle member l and also holds the end portion 2c of the cutter and casing member 2 securely against the shaver handle member I adjacent the open end le of the bore la thereof. The cutter and casing member 2 is provided with a relatively thin side wall portion 2d in which are positioned angularly disposed slots 2e, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. The outer side of said relatively thin side wall portion 2d, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings is concentric with the inner side thereof for substantially fty-thousandths of an inch on both sides of the middle portion 2y' providing a relatively wide portion of said relatively thin portion 2d which is adaptedl for very close shaving.

The rotary cutter member 3 is provided with helically positioned cutter portions 3a which are arranged to be held in close relation with the slotted portions 2e in the cutter and casing member 2 for cutting hairs which are positioned in the slotted portions 2e when shaving with our electric shaver.

The direction of the rotary cutter member 3 is indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 of the drawings. It will be here noted that the helical angle of theY cutter portions 3a of the rotary cutter member 3 is in diverging angular relation with the direction of the slots 2e, the angular disposition thereof being substantially 2 as indicated by the broken lines G and H in Fig. 3. Hairs positioned in the slots 2e are engaged by the revolving cutter portions 3c and said hairs are wedged or forced toward the apex of said diverging angle formed by the angular relation of said slots 2e and said cutter portions 3a. Thus the hairs are very neatly cut off without noticeable pulling thereof. Rigidly connected in one end of the rotary cutter members 3 is the rotary drive wire l'. This rotary drive wire 'I is preferably made of spring steel and provides resilient lateral thrust for holding the rotary cutter member 3 in coextensive revoluble engaged relation with the interior of the cutter and casing member 2 adjacent the slotted portion 2d thereof.

The drive wire casing 8 is substantially cylindrical in form and is provided with a hollow bore Sa which is arranged to conform with the outer side of the motor drive shaft 9. This drive wire casing 8 in the engaged relation with the motor drive shaft 9 is arranged to revolve with the motor drive shaft 9 in concentric relation therewith. The opposite end of the rotary drive wire I from the rotary cutter member 3 is rigidly connected with the drive wire casing by means of the pressed bushing member la. The rotary drive wire ll is secured to the rotary cutter members 3 in a similar manner by means of the bushing 8c, which is positioned in one end of the rotary cutter member 3.

It will be here noted that the axis of the motor drive shaft 9 and the axis of the rotary cutter member 3 are angularly disposed to each other, as indicated by their respective center lines B and C, as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The rotary drive wire 'l in its connected relation with the rotary cutter member 3 and the drive wire casing 3, is in flexed axial relation between said rotary cutter member 3 and said motor drive shaft 9 providing resilient lateral thrust of the rotary cutter member 3 in relation with the slotted portion 2d in the relatively thin portion 2d of the cutter and casing member 2. In the particular structure disclosed, we have arranged the bore 2b of the cutter and casing member 2 at an angle of substantially ve degrees with the axis fixed of the motor drive shaft 9 whereby the rotary drive wire I in its interconnected relation with the motor drive shaft 9 and the rotary cutter member 3 is sprung to compensate for the angular relation between said rotary cutter member 3 and said motor drive shaft 9.

The drive shaft engaging spring I0 is arranged in substantially circumferential position around one end of the drive wire casing 8 and this drive shaft engaging spring I0 is provided with an angularly and inwardly extending portion Ita which extends through a slotted portion 8b in the drive wire casing 8, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings. This angularly and inwardly extending portion Illa is arranged to engage an angularly related slot 9a in the motor drive shaft 9, as shown best in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The operation of our electric shaver is substantially as follows: When the motor drive shaft 9 is revolving in a normal counter-clockwise direc- 'drive Shaft 9'.

tionyifasshownf best by the.arrow/y irri Fig. 2in1; the y .,drawings. they inwardly. extending.. portionl Illa, of lthe:.dri-ve"shaft engagingqspring lo engages-.the slotted portionQa-of the motor -d-rive shaft` 9 causingr the drive wire casing 8- to revolve in' a like direction in axial alignment with. said motor` drive shaft 9. The flexible rotary drivewirev l. in its rigidly connectedV relation with the rotary cutter member .3L andthe. drive wire casing revolves 4in a sprung.r condition angularly revolving the rotary cutter. member in the bore 2b ofthe -cutterand casing member 2. When. the portion 2d ofv the cutter and casing member 2.,is placed.. incontiguous relation with theskin of apersonsface, 4thevvhiskers extendingthrough the slottedpor- .tion-fbare out oit. by means ofthe .helical cutting edges 3a or the rotary cutter member. 3i

It-vvill be noted. that the. helical form of this rotary cutter member 3 provides al directional turbulence in the groove portionv '2g which. causes theahairs cutoff by the helical. cutting portions 3a `to be forced outwardly through the open end' 2h of the cutter and casing member 2v through said .groove portion 2g.

When itis desiredl to remove the shaver headl mechanism fromthe shaver handle member l., the cutter and casing member 2 is pulled outwardly carrying with it the. latch member-. .When. the

Vlatchmember t in its connected relation withr the cutter and. casing mem-bery 2 is pulled out tothe 4wire casing 8. When .the shaver headlmechanism is inserted in the position.. as shown. in Fig.. 1 of the drawings, the drive. shaft engaging spring may be so positioned. that the angularly .and inwardly extending portion Illa is outoi engagement with the slotted portion 9a of the motor However, when the` motor `drive shaft'Q' revolves in its normaldirection, the end portion Illa of this drive shaft engaging spring. lll snaps into position in the angularly disposed slotted portion 9a of'A the motor .drive shaft 9 whereby the'drive wire casing li is locked into secure relation with the motor drive shaft!) for conforming revolution therewith.

'The angularly connected relation of thedrive shaft engaging spring lo' with the motor drive shaft. 9 when revolving, causes a tendency of the drive shaft engaging spring it! to shift inwardly in the slot da carrying. with it the shaver mechanism operatively connected' therewith. The rotary. cutter member 3, `in connection with the. driveshaft engaging. spring Iltis urged longitudinally within the lcutter and. casing membertoward the handle member l when in oper-ation.

The latch member` t ini-ts angularly connected relation with the cutter and casing member 2 is actuated by means'y oi" the 'latch spring t so that the cutter and casing member 2 is held in secure engaged relation lwith the rest portion Id of the shaver handle member l and the shoulder portion l'f adjacent the open end le. of the bore loin the handle member I. The tension of the latch spring 61 in its relation `with the latch member casing` 5 tends to force the latch memberd into thesolid line position when the angularly extending.: end portion 4b of the latch member 4 engages the conforming hole Zocor-the cutter and casing membery 2; whereby .thelatch member,l e is.automatical.n

lysh-i-.ttedlout of. the dash. line ,position A and into .the .i solid .iinepositiom asshownbest. in Fig. l .ot thedrawingsowhen replacing the shaver head ymechanism .relatively Awith.- the shaver handle member. l..

In Eig.. .6 isidisclosed. amodied formzof. the cut.- ter andy casing. member.A 2: of ourelectric shaver. This modified form,y asl shown in ligry of the drawings, issubstantially the sameY construction .as shown. in Eig.. 2. ofthe drawings-.except that themodineol formisr` provided..\vith undercut. portions D atI opposite; sides of theA slotted*- portion E providing comb-like extending vportions F for combingthe hai-r extending from afperson-s skin .inwardly into. theslots E. which are substantially tlfie'isameas the4 slots; zeof `the cutter and casing `men-iberl, .as shownbest inA Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Though we have shownand. described a particular construction, combination'and arrangement of. parts and` portions .and av certain. .modilcation, we.. do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and ar rangement,.nor tothe modification, but desire to .include in theA scopey of our. invention` the construction, combination and arrangement'and the modification substantially. as setv forth. in the fap .pended claims.

Having thusv described our invention, what we claim .as new and desire `.tofsecureby lLetters Patent is:

Encan. electric shaver .oi` thev class described, lthe* combination of a. motor drive. shaft, asingle piece.; cutter and: casing. member. .having a .bore thereinxand having a cutting portion .with slots therein' .communicating lwith said bore, said bore ofssaid cutter andcasing member being in slightly Aangl-liar positionVrelati-ve tothe axis of said motor drive shaft, lal rotary cutter member revolubly "positioned in said bore., a normally straight resiln 4ient rotor drivewire the cross section of. which is at right angles to the rotating axis thereof throughout vits entire length in.. slightly flexed and angular. .interconnected relation with said rotary cutter member and said. motor drive shaft, said cutter andcasing member provided. with `a longitudinal\.scavenging groove portion communicatingwi-th the. inner side of thefbore. thereof.`

2. In an electric shaver .of the class described, the. combination of a motor drive shaft, a single piececutter and casing member having a bore therein and having la cutting portion. with slots therein communicating with said bore, said bore. of said cutter and casing member being in slightly angularp'osition relative to the axis of said motor `drive shaft, a rotary cutter member revolubly positioned' in said bore, and a normally straight resilient rotor drive wire the cross section of which is at right angles to the rotating axis thereof` throughout its entire length in slightlyflexed condition interconnecting said rotary cuttermember and said drive shaft.

3. In an electric shaver of the class described, the. combination of a motor drive shaft provided .withan angularl-y disposed slot in .the side thereof .atits extending end,.a drive shaft engaging spring in said slot, a rotary cutter member, a sleeve supporting said drive shaft engaging spring, and resilient .means interconnecting said sleeve and said rotary `cutter member.

4. In an electric shaver of the4 classv described, .the combination of a hollow casing member provided with. a slotted cutting side, a rigid spiral rotary cutter member revolubly mounted'therein, a motor drive shaft slightly angularly positioned relative to the axis of said rotary cutter member, and a normally straight spring wire drive member secured in a flexed condition to said drive shaft lat one end, and to said rotary cutter at its other end at an intermediate point along the axis of said cutter, to provide equal pressure between said cutter and said casing member for the full length of said cutter.

5. In an electric shaver of the class described, the combination of a hollow casing member provided with a slotted cutting side, a rigid spiral rotary cutter member revolubly mounted therein, a motor drive shaft slightly angularly positioned relative to the axis of said rotary cutter member and a normally straight spring wire drive member secured in iiexed condition to said motor drive shaft at one end and to said rotary cutter at its other end at an intermediate point along the axis of said cutter, to provide equal pressure between said cutter and said casing member for the full length of'said cutter, whereby said cutter and said casing member are held in revoluble coextensive engaged relation at the inner side of said cutter and casing member at the slotted cutting side, by the lateral inherent spring of said spring Wire drive member.

6. In an electric shaver of the class described, the combination of a hollow 4cutter and casing member provided with a slotted cutting side, a rigid spiral rotary cutter member revolubly mounted therein, a motor drive shaft slightly angularly positioned relative to the axis of said rotary cutter member, a normally straight spring wire drive member secured in flexed condition to said motordrive shaft at one end and to said rotary cutter at its other end at an intermediate point along the axis of said cutter, to provide equal pressure between said cutter and said casing member, for the full length of said cutter, Whereby said cutter and said casing member are held in revoluble coextensive engaged relation to the inner side of said cutter and casing member at the slotted cutting side, by the lateral inherent spring of said spring wire drive member, and a casing secured at one end around said motor drive shaft and around said spring wire drive member and forming a connection between said motor drive shaft and said spring wire drive member.

7. In an electric shaver of the class described, the combination of a hollow cutter and casing member provided with a slotted cutting side, a rigid spiral rotary cutter member revolubly mounted therein, a motor drive shaft slightly angularly positioned relatively with the axis of said rotary cutter member, a normally straight spring wire drive member secured in flexed condition to said motor drive shaft at one end and to said rotary cutter at its other end at an intermediate point along the axis of said cutter, to provide equal pressure between said cutter and said casing member for the full length of said cutter, whereby said cutter and said casing member are held in revoluble coextensive engaged relation to the inner side of said cutter and casing member at the slotted cutting side, by the lateral inherent spring of said spring wire drive member, a casing secured at one end around said motor drive shaft and around said spring wire drive member, and forming a connection between said motor drive shaft and said spring wire drive member, and a drive shaft engaging spring secured to said spring wire casing and arranged to engage said motor drive shaft.

8 8. In an electric/shaver of the class described, the combination of a hollow cutter and casing member provided with a slotted cutting side, a

rigid spiral rotary cutter member revolubly mounted therein, a motor drive shaft slightly angularly positioned relative to the axis of said rotary cutter member, a normally straight spring wire drive member secured in exed condition to said motor drive shaft at one end and to said cutter at its other end at an intermediate point along the axis of said cutter to provide equal pressure between said cutter and said casing member for the full length of said cutter, Whereby said cutter and said member are held in re voluble coextensive engaged relation to the inner side of said cutter and casing member at the slotted cutting side, by the lateral inherent spring l of said spring wire drive member, a casing secured at one end around said motor drive shaft and around said spring wire drive member and forming a connection between said motor drive shaft and said spring wire drive member, a drive shaft engaging spring secured to said spring wire casing and arranged to engage said motor drive shaft, and a handle member in revoluble disconnectable relation with said hollow cutter and casing member and resilient latch means connected with said handle member arranged to re siliently hold said cutter and casing member in certain position relatively with said handle member.

9. An electric shaver of the class described consisting of a single piece hollow casing member provided with a slotted cutting side, a rigid spiral rotary cutter member revolubly mounted therein, a motor drive shaft slightly angularly positioned relatively with the axis of said rotary cutter mei ber and a normally straight spring wire drive member the cross section of which is at right angles to therotating axis thereof throughout its entire length secured to said motor drive shaft at its one end in laterally flexed position and its other end secured to said rigid rotary cutter member at one end. thereof.

l0. An electric shaver of the class described consisting of a single piece hollow casing member provided with a slotted cutting side, a rigid spiral rotary cutter member revolubly mounted therein, a motor drive shaft slightly angularly positioned 0 relatively with the axis of said rotary cutter member and a normally straight spring wire drive member secured to said motor drive shaft at its one end in laterally flexed position and secured at its other end to said rigid rotary cutter member, said spring Wire drive member extending into said rotary cutter member and secured thereto at an intermediate point along its axis to provide predetermined equal pressure the full length of said rotary cutter member with said 60 smgle piece hollow cutter and casing member.

CLEVELAND H. QUACKENBUSI-l. JOHN L. QUACKENBUSH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

